Serendipitous

Part 9

Max

Persephone's jittery as she jostles beside me, her entire being radiating a ball of pure energy. She laughs as she observes her friends from a distance, watching their every move as they dance to the beat of the music. I can't tear my eyes from her face, from the way her lips tilt upwards as she giggles. How her eyes twinkle in the dark night, and how the large mirror ball hanging from the ceiling only adds to the enchantment of her expression.

With no notice, Persephone suddenly turns her head in my direction.

She's caught me staring, again.

In an attempt to cover up my desperate longing, I mask a self-assured smile, before words find themselves.

"Do you want to go dance?" I motion towards her small group of friends, not missing the hint of nerves Persephone's eyes hold.

After the wedding ceremony, we all made our way to an adjoining reception hall, where we first ate, before getting up to dance. The rest of her friends left to dance a handful of minutes ago, while Persephone hung back, saying that she'd just watch for a few minutes. Personally, I think she's just too scared to ask me to dance, so, it's my time to shine. 

"Don't feel like you have to, if you don't-" She begins, smiling softly under her quiet tone of voice.

"Hey, we didn't practise at the diner for nothing, right?" I smile gleefully as Persephone rolls her eyes, her mind obviously tracking back to our awful dancing at the diner the other night.

"Fine." She finally says, reaching around and placing her glass of champagne on the table behind us. I stand from my own seat, extending my hand as I peer down at her. She rolls her eyes again as she sees my hand, although her face is stretched into a smile as she looks between myself and her friends. She accept my gestures in the following seconds, and sparks fly between our palms as I help to pull her to her feet. I keep our hands laced together as we step onto the dance floor, although my head's clarity is beginning to fade.

I don't know why that happens, when I'm around her. Why I'm always filled with the desire to touch her, to feel the warmth of her skin on the surface of my own. Why I get butterflies, like I did around girls in middle school. Why I'm so confused, about this entire situation. It's simple to understand, in hindsight. We have an arrangement, nothing more, and nothing less. So why does it feel like more than just an arrangement? 

I don't understand why I was filled with so much anticipation about tonight, and more importantly, why I have so much dread for everything after tonight. For when everything goes back to normal, and Persephone and I go back to being people that just work at the same place, in totally different fields. For when we won't have any more favours to fulfil, nothing left to tie us together. Personally, I'd love to keep our... friendship going, but I have no idea what Persephone is thinking. What's on her mind. What plans she has for after tonight.

The scariest thing is, that I've got a feeling neither of us have a plan.

"Are you okay?" My eyes snap back to Persephone, taking in the slight tinge of worry spread across her expression.

"Yes, sorry. Got lost in my head for a second." Persephone smiles now, steering me towards her friends. They all turn around as they hear us approaching, directing their partnered dancing towards us. Baby Oliver giggles in Christian's arms, holding his hands out in Persephone's direction. She herself laughs, taking a hold of the baby, bringing him to rest in her arms. I find myself smiling again, as she rocks the baby in her arms to the beat of the music.

She'll be an amazing mother one day.

She catches me staring again, surprising me by lifting Olly into my arms. I stare at her, stunned as the baby softens into my arms, panicking a little. I mean it when I say I have never held a baby before. I was the youngest in my family, youngest sibling, cousin, grandchild, meaning everyone held me instead.